With a global energy crisis looming around the corner, investing in clean technologies makes more than just economic sense. The future of the planet literally depends on them. Initiatives such as the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) are energy savings of over 3,900 GWh every year. In 2017 alone, global investments in clean energy stood at $333.5 billion. Here’s a look at the leading clean technologies around the world that can clean up the planet when appropriately scaled up:
Organic-flow Batteries: Coming from researchers at Harvard, these differ from conventional batteries in the sense that they use external tanks instead of housing the components inside the battery. This allows a much larger amount of energy to be stored. The use of organic molecules further reduces the cost of metals. They are a great alternative to Lithium-ion batteries and finds a range of applications such as power backups/UPS, mobile, laptops, electric transport, and even Energy Storage Systems. They also offer much higher efficiency, life, and long-term stability in usage, helping to combat climate change at a macro scale.
Commercialized Carbon: Technologies of companies such as Carbon Engineering are enabling us to capture the carbon in the air and leverage it for industrial or commercial production and even in the production of low-carbon fuels. This material has been dubbed as AirCarbon and can be used to create products such as phone covers and chairs.
Solar Chargers: A built-in suction cup enables the device to capture solar energy in a few hours as the back solar panels are exposed to sunlight. Users can easily charge the device by leaving it on the window or the ground on a sunny day.
Energy-efficient Cookstoves: Safe and highly efficient, these reduce the harmful effects of traditional stoves, such as smoke inhalation and the wood required for fuel. The cookstoves do this with nonaligned air vents that significantly reduce the amount of wind that is allowed to snuff the fire. Hence, fuel wastage is brought to a bare minimum.
Sustainable Houses: Organizations such as Lifehaus have come up with innovative home designs that leave behind minimal carbon footprints. The reason? They are constructed from the ground up with literal waste, such as tires, cans, and bottles. By treating waste as valid materials, the environment can be saved through low-cost and sustainable housing with eco-friendly architecture.
Such technological solutions are putting a greener and sustainable future in the sight.
Source : moneycontrol
